Dangers Around Construction Sites

As our personal injury team at Aronberg, Aronberg & Green knows, construction sites are commons sights in South Florida. But the fact that they pop up all over the place on a regular basis does not mean that they are safe. To the contrary, construction sites pose many dangers, both to construction workers employed at the sites and to individuals who happen be near the sites. In this blog post, we will explore some of the dangers posed by construction zones, so that you can try to avoid injury. Read more about Dangers Around Construction Sites.

Safety Video

Crane and Scaffolding Collapses

As our Delray Beach injury lawyers know, collapses of cranes and scaffolding constitute one of the most troubling types of dangers present on construction sites. When large, heavy cranes and high-up pieces of scaffolding, complete with wooden plans and metal poles, come crashing down, they can cause serious injuries—and fatalities. While construction sites are supposed to be reinforced so as to withstand weather conditions, sometimes nature bring more than “normal” conditions. For example, during Hurricane Irma in September, a large crane in downtown Miami bent and collapsed. Thankfully, nobody was injured.

Sometimes, this sort of accident happens even where weather is not a factor. You may recall that, last year, a piece of scaffolding collapsed and fell to the ground on a construction site at a high-rise building in the Brickell section of downtown Miami. As a result of the collapse, multiple people were injured and one person died after suffering a heart attack fleeing the scene of the collapse.

Holes and Other Openings

Another hazard present on many construction sites—particularly those involving repairs to roads or pipes—are holes or other openings in the ground. Falling into a gaping hole in the ground can lead to many types of injuries, from scuffs and scrapes to broken limbs and even death. As our construction accident attorneys know, hazards such as holes in the road and elsewhere should be properly marked on construction sites. When passing through or by a construction site, you should always make sure to watch where you are walking to ensure that you don’t accidentally trip or fall into a hazardous hole in the ground.

Large, Powerful Equipment

Heavy equipment is an expected presence on construction sites, as our injury team knows. Cranes, bulldozers, excavators and other pieces of large, man-operated, powerful machinery are used due to their size and strength. They are used to uproot buildings and move (literally) tons of heavy material. But the reason that they are so effective is what makes them so dangerous. Being hit or run over by a construction site vehicle or piece of equipment could result in serious injuries. Another consideration, in terms of the safety of the construction vehicles, is that they are not as agile as the cars you find on the road. In other words, as our construction site injury lawyers know, the operator of one of the vehicles may not be able to stop a vehicle from its operation in time to avoid an accident as easily as the operator would be if he or she was operating a personal car. That is why avoiding construction site hazards to begin with is so important.

If you have any questions about this or any other personal injury-related issue, or if you or someone you know has been injured due to the wrongdoing or negligence of another, please contact our Delray Beach personal injury lawyers at Aronberg, Aronberg & Green. To schedule a free consultation, please call 561-266-9191. With offices in Delray Beach, Boca Raton and Wellington, we are ready and able to assist you.